JPH03209279A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily supply a developer in a storage part to a development chamber by keeping an opening and a supply hole in different positions, and providing a mobile member which, at the time of mounting a development device to the image forming device main body, moves the developing device to the position where the opening is communicated with the supply hole. CONSTITUTION:When the development device is mounted in the copying machine main body in the right location, the boss 30 of a shutter 27 abuts on a pin 35 fixed to the side plate 34 of the copying machine main body. Since the diameter of the pin 35 is smaller than the inside diameter of a guide cylinder 31, the pin 35 enters the cylinder 31 and the boss 30 is pushed. Consequently, the shutter 27 is moved, an opening 28 and an opening part 26 are matched, and developer in a developer case 25 freely falls into the development chamber 19. When the left rising part 29 of the shutter 27 abuts on the side wall of the developer case 25, the case 25 is also moved. When the development device is fixed in the final prescribed position, a fine hole 23 and an opening 33 are matched, and a toner hopper 20 is communicated with the development chamber. Thus, developer in the developer case 23 is automatically supplied to the development chamber 19.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention has a developing device equipped with a storage chamber adjacent to a developing chamber and storing a developer, and the developing device is attached to the main body of an image forming apparatus. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that can be attached to and detached from an image forming apparatus.

Image forming devices for the above formation include copying machines, printers,
Facsimile etc. As a developing device used in this device, Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 63-9237 has a developer storage section integrated inside the developing device.

A developing device is disclosed in which the developer is closely connected to the storage portion using a sealing member, and by pulling out the sealing member, the developer is supplied and development is possible.

This type of developing device has the developer storage section integrated with the developing device main body, so there are advantages such as no need to attach or detach the toner cartridge and no toner scattering.

However, in the storage unit-integrated developing device, when the seal member is pulled, there is a risk that the developer adhering to the seal member may stain hands and clothes. Further, there is a problem in that, due to breakage of the sealing member or the like, the developer may remain in the storage section and the developer may not be completely supplied into the developing chamber.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and provide an image forming apparatus that can supply developer in a storage section to a developing chamber simply by attaching a developing device to an image forming apparatus main body. It is said that

to solve the lesson The structure of the present invention that achieves the above object is as follows.

(1) In an image forming apparatus having a developing device equipped with a storage chamber adjacent to a developing chamber and storing a developer, the developing device is removable from the main body of the image forming apparatus. A supply hole is formed on the surface facing the developing chamber, and includes a supply hole for supplying developer and an opening communicating with the supply hole, and is movable by mounting the developing device on the main body of the image forming apparatus. a movable member, the movable member is held at a position where the opening and the supply hole are misaligned, and when the developing device is attached to the image forming apparatus main body, the movable member moves to a position where the opening communicates with the supply hole. An image forming apparatus characterized in that:

(2) The storage chamber is a developer case placed above the developing chamber, and the movement of the moving member causes the supply hole and the opening to communicate with each other, so that the developer in the developer case falls into the developing chamber. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that:

(3) The storage chamber is a toner hopper and the supply hole is a microhole, and the movement of the moving member causes the microhole to communicate with the opening, and the toner is discharged into the developing chamber by the operation of the discharge means in the toner hopper. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

Raw-1 According to the above configuration, in the present invention, the movable member moves simply by mounting the developing device on the image forming apparatus, the opening between the supply hole and the movable member communicates, and the developer can be supplied to the developing chamber. .

Thick 11 Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, when a photoreceptor drum 1 is rotated in the direction of the arrow by a drive device (not shown), the surface of the photoreceptor is charged by a charger 2. As shown in FIG. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the charged portion by exposing an optical image of the document placed on the contact glass 3 via the optical system 4 . The latent image thus formed is visualized by the developing device 5 and reaches the transfer section as a toner image. In synchronization with this toner image, a transfer sheet is conveyed from the paper feed section 8 to the transfer section, the toner image is transferred to the transfer sheet under the action of the transfer charger 6, and then separated from the photoreceptor drum 1 under the action of the separation charger 7. be done.

The transfer paper on which the toner image has been transferred and has been separated from the photoreceptor drum 1 is sent via the conveyor belt 9 to a fixing device N10, where the toner image is fixed as a permanent image. After the fixing, the transfer paper is discharged to the outside of the machine or conveyed to the double-sided tray 12. On the other hand, the photosensitive drum 1 after the transfer and separation is cleaned by a cleaning device 11 and prepared for the next copying.

As shown in FIG. 2, the developing device 5 includes a developing roller 13.
The toner hopper 20 has a developing chamber 19 equipped with an elliptical plate 14, a paddle 15, a developing doctor 16, a separator 17, and a conveyance screw 18, and a toner hopper 20 as a storage chamber storing toner to be supplied to the developing chamber 19. An agitator 21 for stirring the toner is provided inside. An opening 22 extending in the axial direction of the developing roller 3 in the width direction is formed at the toner replenishment position of the toner hopper 10, and the opening 22 has a plurality of micro holes 23 in the width direction as shown in FIG.
A sealing member 24 is attached.

The developing device 5 is provided above the developing chamber 19 and to the left of the toner hopper 20 in the figure, with a developer case 25 storing a developer in which toner and carrier are mixed at a predetermined ratio. At the bottom of this drug case 25 are shown figures 3 and 5.
As shown in the figure, an opening 26 is provided as a supply hole for supplying developer to the developing chamber 19.
A plurality of them are formed in parallel in the width direction. Further, a moving member configured as a shutter 27 that closes the opening 26 is provided inside the drug case 25, and the shutter 27 has a plurality of openings 28 in the width direction that communicate with the opening 26. They are formed in parallel.

The shutter 27 is placed so as to be movable in the direction of arrow C in FIG.
up to the point where it abuts the in-plane wall.

This shutter 27 is integrally provided with a boss 30 projecting outward on the right rising portion 29. The boss 30 passes through the side wall of the agent case 25 and extends outward from the side surface of the casing 5a of the developing device 5.The casing 5a has a guide tube 31 that surrounds the boss 30.
is provided.

The agent case 25 is attached to the casing 5a of the developing device W5 so as to be movable in the direction of the third arrow, and the agent case 25 is integrally provided with a cover plate 32 that covers the minute hole 23. There is. This cover plate 32 is formed with a plurality of openings 33 that communicate with the microholes 23. That is, the medicine case 25 also constitutes a moving member separate from the shutter 27.

When the developing device W5 configured in this manner is new, the developing device W5 is installed in the developing chamber 19.
There is no developer inside, and the developer to be supplied to the developing chamber 19 is stored in the developer case 25. At this time, the opening 26 of the agent case 25 and the opening 28 of the shutter 27 are offset, and similarly, the microhole 23 of the toner hopper 20 and the opening 33 of the cover plate 32 are offset. In addition, drug case 25
and the shutter 27 has its opening 26 and opening 28 . Micropore 2
In order to hold the opening 33 and the opening 33 in a shifted position, a stopper, a spring, or the like may be provided that can be bent when a predetermined force is applied.

Now, when the new developing device 5 is installed in the correct position on the copying machine main body in the direction of arrow B, the boss 30 of the shutter 27 will hit the pin 35 fixed to the side plate 34 of the copying machine main body, as shown in FIG. . That is, since the diameter of the pin 35 is smaller than the inner diameter of the guide cylinder 31, the pin 35 enters into the guide cylinder 31 and the boss 30 is pushed in the direction of arrow C.

Therefore, the shutter 27 moves in the direction of arrow C, and the opening 2
8 and the opening 26 match, and the developer in the developer case 25 freely falls into the developing chamber 19. Then, when the left rising portion 29 of the shutter 27 hits the side wall of the agent case 25, the agent case 25 also moves in the direction of arrow C, and when the developing device 5 is installed in the final predetermined position, as shown in FIG. Hole 23
The opening 33 is aligned, and the toner hopper 20 and the developing chamber 19 are in communication with each other.

When the copying machine is operated and the agitator 21 is rotated, the toner in the toner hopper 20 is wiped off along the inner wall of the toner hopper 20 by a sheet 21a attached to the tip of the agitator 21. The toner carried by the agitator 21 passes through the opening 22 through the microhole 2 of the gate 24.
3 and the opening 33 of the cover plate 32 to be discharged into the developing chamber 19 .

This toner discharge amount is approximately 8 to 15 g/min.

Thus, in the copying machine of this embodiment, the developer in the developer case 25 can be automatically supplied to the developing chamber 19 simply by mounting the developing device 5 on the copying machine main body. Furthermore, since the toner hopper 20 communicates with the developing chamber 19 when the developing device 5 is installed, toner sealability can be ensured.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified in various ways.

For example, in the above embodiment, when the developing device is installed, the agent case and toner hopper are communicated with the developing chamber, making it possible to supply developer. You can. That is, by attaching the developing device to the main body of the copying machine, only the developer in the agent case can be supplied to the developing chamber, and therefore, it can also be applied to a one-component developing device. Alternatively, the toner hopper may be communicated with the developing chamber by mounting the developing device on the main body of the copying machine, and in this case, the present invention can be applied to a developing device in which developer is supplied to the developing chamber using a manual shutter.

Therefore, in such a configuration, the covering plate does not need to be provided on the medicine case.

Effects According to the above configuration, the present invention eliminates the need for troublesome operations for supplying developer to the developing chamber by simply mounting the developing device at a predetermined position on the main body of the image forming apparatus.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an overall machine showing an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the developing device, Figure 3 is a sectional view showing the relationship between the agent case and shutter, Figure 4 is a sectional view showing the relationship between the agent case and toner hopper, and Figure 5 is an explanatory perspective view. It is. 5 ・ ・ ・ 19 ・ ・ ・ 20 ・ ・ ・ 23 ・ ・ 25 ・ ・ ・ 26 ・ ・ ・ 27 ・ ・ 28, 33 Developing device Developing chamber Toner hopper Microporous agent case opening Shutter... Opening Figure 3 c3B 4

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In an image forming apparatus having a developing device including a storage chamber adjacent to the developing chamber and storing developer, the developing device being detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus, A supply hole is formed on the surface facing the developing chamber, and includes a supply hole for supplying developer and an opening communicating with the supply hole, and is movable when the developing device is attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus. a movable member, the movable member is held in a position where the opening and the supply hole are misaligned, and when the developing device is attached to the image forming apparatus main body, the movable member moves to a position where the opening communicates with the supply hole. An image forming apparatus characterized in that: (2) The storage chamber is a developer case placed above the developing chamber, and the movement of the moving member causes the supply hole and the opening to communicate with each other, so that the developer in the developer case falls into the developing chamber. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: (3) The storage chamber is a toner hopper and the supply hole is a microhole, and the movement of the moving member causes the microhole to communicate with the opening, and the toner is discharged into the developing chamber by the operation of the discharge means in the toner hopper. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.